The van sped off, but soon collided with a parked vehicle, leading the van's three human occupants to flee on foot.
The three men were located nearby -- one up a tree -- and police determined the three lambs in the back seat of the van were likely stolen from an area farm.
The suspects, Romanian nationals aged 22, 27 and 28, were arrested on suspicion of theft.
"It's not every day we recover live stolen property, but the lambs seem none the worse for their adventure," police Inspector Paul Southern said. "We are now trying to trace where they came from and are asking farmers to check their flocks to see if they have any missing."
Police shared a photo of Inspector Clive Baynton holding one of the recovered sheep and a second photo of all three lambs with their faces pixelated "due to their age and vulnerability (It's a joke!)."
